A Face in the Flames
by crouchingbunny
Summary: “Seventh years think they know everything,” Snape had said dangerously calm as he walked to the front of his dungeons classroom, his dark clothing drifting ominously behind him. He waved his wand at the chalk board as the rest of the class looked horror s


Another little oneshot of mine, I think it might be my thing. Anyway I was rereading OOTP and I read where when Sirius popped his head in the flames and said this girl saw him, so I figured that it would be a fun little oneshot to write. Enjoy, reviews are appreciated! -Crouchingbunny.

"I could do this with my eyes closed and with my hands behind my back," he had proclaimed to Snape. _You idiot!!!_ Norma had thought severely at him while tapping the tip of her quill furiously on the table. The rest of the class waited helplessly for Snape's reaction."Seventh years think they know everything," Snape had said dangerously calm as he walked to the front of his dungeons classroom, his dark clothing drifting ominously behind him. He waved his wand at the chalk board as the rest of the class looked horror stricken at Jason, who looked mildly deflated as if he had seemingly forgotten who he was dealing with, and had only just remembered. The instructions disappeared and the entire class gasped and shot menacing glares at Jason from their seats, no doubt promising him an early death. 

"I uh Professor-" Jason stammered suddenly realizing what he had done. Snape turned around ignoring him.

"Since Mr. Elping seems to think this below N.E.W.T level, all Gryffindors may memorize the ingredients and instructions tonight and come in tomorrow and brew it without the use of their textbooks." Jason gaped at Snape abashed.

"But Professor!" Norma said in the hushed silence that followed. She already had a charms essay due the next morning along with a Kelpie diagram for Professor Grubblyplank that she hadn't even started on.

"Miss White, would you like to accompany Mr. Elping for detention tonight?" Snape asked threateningly. Norma closed her mouth and looked down at her paper.

"No sir," she muttered.

"Very well then. I suggest you all get started on a twelve inch essay on the importance of Gargoyle skin in the potion which will be due on Thursday," he said and turned around to the scowls of several Gryffindors and the sobbing of Grace Mulrooney in the back. Norma made a face at her blank piece of paper and silently promised herself to hex Jason Elping into next millennium.

Norma thought sourly about Jason Elping even now as she stared down at the ingredient list for the Draught of Stone.

"_Skin of the gargoyle, chopped mandrake root, gibbons tail,…_" Norma recited as she covered her eyes with a hand and named them off. She split her fingers and looked down at the page which danced with light from the Gryffindor common rooms fire place. "Wrong!" she exclaimed and hit herself in the head. "It's mandrake leaf not root."

She looked up at a few giggling third years on whom she shot a withering look, even though they weren't really impeding her studying. She fiddled with a purple elastic around her wrist before pulling her tightly curled blonde hair into a high ponytail. _Okay, let's try this again,_ she thought to herself. After reciting the ingredients until she could get them right every time. Norma stared lazily into the flames of the fireplace wishing she could chuck her entire potions book into the hungry flames.

"If only," she muttered to herself. Suddenly there it was, a face in the fireplace! She gasped and her eyes widened, a handsome man with long hair in the fireplace! She blinked and he was gone. "What?" Norma said to herself and shook her head. Surely she had imagined it, but there it was again! She leaned closer and decided it was just a log. She sighed and closed her potions book. Maybe Arlene was right, she _was_ studying too much. _Still, _she thought as she put her books into her bag, _it might be better not to mention any of this to anyone. Maybe not even to myself again_, Norma thought to herself as she walked up the stairs to the seventh year girls room.

The next morning before going to breakfast Norma knelt stooped by the empty fireplace, examining the logs and even using the poker to move a few of them around. She frowned and stood up brushing off her knee length skirt.

"Norma what are you doing over there?" Arlene called from by the portrait hole.

"N-nothing." Norma tugged a long spiral of her hair and walked over to join her friends. "Breakfast anyone?" She asked nervously. Maybe she should talk to someone… she couldn't get the man in the fire out of her head.


End file.
